Algae Problems

[FourN6]

Hi there,

I'm not really sure how to describe the question/problem I have but I'll try my best. I have 3-4 mounted plants that are covered in algae/moss/mold/mildew (not sure how else to describe it) and when they are wet, they smell horrible! As in make me gag horrible! I grow my plants indoors and the odor has taken over my kitchen and it needs to go.

If these were potted plants I'd for sure being doing a repot but being mounted, I don't know what to do to eliminate or reduce the odor. I hate to attempt pulling them off their mounts as they are lovely, well established plants. Is there anything I can use to remove the algae from the mounts?

[Roberta]

I'd suggest a good spraying with Physan 20 (diluted about 2 teaspoons per quart, even a tablespoon won't hurt). After a day or so, rinse well with water,you can rub lightly with your fingers, and if the (now dead) gunk doesn't come off easily, repeat.

[jkofferdahl]

I would think a solution of Physan 20 would take care of it. The algae isn't an immediate threat to your orchid, but it'll eventually keep the roots from getting a good air supply. On what material are the orchids mounted, and how long have they been mounted? Algae is often a sign that the mount/media is breaking down.

Remounting isn't overly difficult, by the way. You need to soak the mount/plant in tepid water for about 30 minutes to loosen up the roots, then carefully pry them free.

[Roberta]

Cleaning up the plants is better solution... I would not try to unmount an established plant unless absolutely necessary (like for a badly rotted mount that might be toxic to the plant, in which case it usually unmounts itself with on only moderate persuasion)

[FourN6]

Most plants are from Andy's. One is slab mounted and the moss is growing moss so I may be able to remove some of the fluffier stuff and replace with fresh sphagnum. The other plant appears to be bark or vine mounted. It does not have as much moss around the roots. Both plants are dendrobiums.

Would it be safe to pull away old media and try to replace it? I don't want to damage the canes.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Cleaning up the plants is better solution... I would not try to unmount an established plant unless absolutely necessary (like for a badly rotted mount that might be toxic to the plant, in which case it usually unmounts itself with on only moderate persuasion)

I wasn't recommending remounting, just saying that it may be necessary. Obviously it's something to avoid.

Is the algae just on the moss or has it spread? You CAN remove the old moss and then use new, but doing so will require unwrapping all of the mounting floss/line, removing, replacing, then rewrapping the line to hold everything in place. That's a lot of work. I'm still leaning to Physan as a solution.

[FourN6]

I have Physan and can start using it tomorrow. If that doesn't work after a few waterings, I'll look into remounting. I've remounted a few plants and yes, its a lot of work! But I'll do what I must to make the smell go away!

[Roberta]

Picking out soume of the moss between the plant and the mount (a tweezers could be helpful) might be of use. I have found that some Andy plants with too much moss under them unmount themselves... I cut the fish line, if the plant has rooted to the mount it will stay in place, I just add a bit more fish line to replace what I cut. If the plant plus moss pad falls off in my hands, remount time (with much less moss) Dens in particular tend to grow into the moss pad instead of getting intimate with the mount.

I have a LOT of Andy plants... and have ended up remounting most of them within a couple of years. The extra moss makes them typically easy to unmount (one of the reasons they're done that way in the first place) but needs to be removed for the long term health of the plant. Also, some of the mounts aren't that great - especially those with smooth surfaces.

[jkofferdahl]

Hit with the Physan first, and see if it takes care of the problem. Be patient, and don't give up with just one application. I suspect it will take care of it. If not, though, try Roberta's idea of picking some of the moss out. If THAT fails, go to the next step of unwrapping and removing ALL moss without unmounting the plant. Save a remount as a last resort.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Picking out soume of the moss between the plant and the mount (a tweezers could be helpful) might be of use. I have found that some Andy plants with too much moss under them unmount themselves... I cut the fish line, if the plant has rooted to the mount it will stay in place, I just add a bit more fish line to replace what I cut. If the plant plus moss pad falls off in my hands, remount time (with much less moss) Dens in particular tend to grow into the moss pad instead of getting intimate with the mount.

I have a LOT of Andy plants... and have ended up remounting most of them within a couple of years. The extra moss makes them typically easy to unmount (one of the reasons they're done that way in the first place) but needs to be removed for the long term health of the plant. Also, some of the mounts aren't that great - especially those with smooth surfaces.

That's one reason that I mount everything bare rooted, and then cover the roots with moss before tying the plant on. The moss protects the roots from being cut by the thread, and the roots are then snug against the mount.

---------- Post added at 03:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:39 AM ----------

Originally Posted by FourN6

I have Physan and can start using it tomorrow. If that doesn't work after a few waterings, I'll look into remounting. I've remounted a few plants and yes, its a lot of work! But I'll do what I must to make the smell go away!

Hmmm, I have algae on a lot of mounts. They are allowed to dry out well each day, so they don't really smell.
If physan works, I'd be interested to know. I seem to remember Ray saying that when he wetted his moss, prior to using it for the first time, he used hot water to kill algal spores.